Tag Archives: phonological awareness

Supporting your child to learn skills and strategies for kindergarten readiness can be done with fun, simple activities, such as rhyming words. In the winter, there’s a chance of snow. What words rhyme with snow?

Being able to rhyme words is a skill that develops about the age of 4, but in the meantime kids need to hear many, many words and be exposed to rhymes. Often, books will be written using a rhyming pattern, but parents and caregivers can play games with words. One way to play with words is to say some that sound the same. For instance, “The snow did blow, all in a row.” Repeat the words that rhyme: snow, blow, row. Ask your child for some other words that sound like that. This is hard to do, so you may have to say them: toe, grow, mow, slow. They sound the same too. Make up some silly poems, such as: The snow will grow, until we say Whoa. Row, row, row the snow. You can throw snow but don’t hit the crow. Oh, no!

What’s so special about words and rhymes? Words are made of bits of sounds; for example, the word snow can be divided up into the bits ‘sss’, then ‘nnn’ and ‘oooo’. These sound bits can be recombined to make new words: snow, glow, flow, etc. Figuring out these bits is a critical skill. The technical term is phonological awareness and rhyming is part of it. Knowing how words work is valuable for learning to read.

Ears need to hear plenty of words that rhyme. This helps the brain make the needed connections. Having some fun with the word snow can be done inside or outside, and doesn’t need any materials at all. What words do you and your child know that rhyme with snow? 1, 2, 3, go…

All languages are made of sounds and this is an important part of children’s early learning and play. Managing these sound bits will help for kindergarten readiness and later learning to read. Did you know that babies cry with an accent? Already at birth the brain has made some important connections for language sounds. The… Continue Reading

Once upon a time, we can help children develop kindergarten readiness with words that rhyme. And it will take time for children to be able to rhyme words. Words are tools for communicating to others and for thinking. But words are based on a system of sounds. For instance, the word cat has 3 sounds;… Continue Reading

Parents and caregivers often ask what young children need to know before kindergarten; this is the 17th in a series of blog posts on kindergarten readiness and early learning basics. No matter the age of your little one, this will give you a general picture of what to do as your child’s very first teacher.… Continue Reading

No matter if you have a child starting preschool or kindergarten this year, next year or a few years from now, do you know what the most important activity is that you can do at home? Best of all, it’s not just for kindergarten readiness but other kinds of development, too. It’s reading and sharing… Continue Reading

Rock talk is lots of fun and can help kids with kindergarten readiness. In case you hadn’t guessed rock talk is words and rhyming. Being able to rhyme words is a skill that develops about the age of 4, but in the meantime kids need to hear many, many words and be exposed to rhymes.… Continue Reading

Does kindergarten readiness rock for you? I love the play on words and what could be more fun than rocks? Did you know that word play also helps children with a basic skill for later learning to read? Before children can tackle words on a page, they need to learn that words are made of… Continue Reading

Did you know that asking children about words that rhyme is often included on kindergarten readiness evaluations? Not all kids will be able to rhyme words before they start kindergarten and this tells teachers which ones will need more activities with words and sounds. Why is rhyming words so important? Children need to be able… Continue Reading

Tomorrow is the birthday of beloved Dr. Seuss, and Read Across America Day. There are so many wonderful activities to do with kids and so many wonderful Dr. Seuss books that I’m going to do several posts. There are even Dr. Seuss apps. Since it’s the first day of a new month, an appropriate book… Continue Reading

Backpacks are on on track for the kindergarten readiness skill of rhyming. What words sound like back and pack? Yak,track, black, tack, jack, quack, crack, etc. Children will learn to rhyme about the age of 4, but in the meantime, they need to hear lots of rhyming words. One way to do this is with books… Continue Reading